Ileal starch digestibility in growing broiler chickens fed on a wheat-based diet is improved by mash feeding, dilution with cellulose or whole wheat inclusion.

1. An experiment was conducted to study causes of low ileal starch digestibilities when broiler chickens were fed on wheat-based diets. Each of 5 cold-pelleted diets containing 771 g/kg DM wheat and one cold-pelleted diet containing 694 g/kg DM wheat were fed to 24 male broiler chickens in 8 cages from 10 to 21 d of age. 2. Feed intake and weight gain were significantly reduced when the wheat diet was crushed and fed in a mash form. 3. Ileal starch digestibility increased significantly from 0.79 to 0.95, 0.93 and 0.91, respectively, when the diet was crushed and fed in a mash form, was diluted with cellulose prior to pelleting, or when parts of the wheat were fed as whole grains. Correspondingly, random variation between individual birds was reduced. 4. These results indicate that an overload of wheat starch in the digestive tract may be the cause of poor digestibility for some broilers in a flock. Grinding of the wheat may also influence starch digestibility.